The MERLIN Chronicles is an Indiana Jones-like game, with ancient treasures, mysterious powers and lots of adventure. We finished the second chapter and need some new volunteers going into the third. Players new to the system are more than welcome. Note: this game is slow-moving, with an average of a post per week. That's just the reality of how this game works, so don't expect to go too much faster. If that's too slow for your tastes, please don't apply.

New characters will be part of the European resistance, as there is no other plausible way to get your characters involved. That doesn't mean you can't be American (perhaps you were a paragon soldier separated from the others). You must also be able to speak English. Format your applications like the ones on the Volunteer List here. Make sure you include a name (no code names), physical description (pictures are nice but not required), personality, background, a description of your powers, and a writing sample. I'm using the Paragons and Golden Age supplements to MnM 2e, but neither are required. The game is now PL 6, but effectively 5 for all limits and caps required at character creation. Stats are not the most important part. The other PC's were accepted more on the strength of their characters than anything else. When it comes to powers, don't tell me in game mechanics what you want to do; tell me what you want to do and we'll make it work within the rules. Remember to try and be appropriate to the time period and tone and you should be good to go.

Take a look at the Volunteer List in the game forum for what's already in the game (and the Records Office to see who used to be). Give me something different than what's been done. Remember, if you want to play an American male character, you either need to have a reason to be exempt from military service or have a rank; otherwise you're not likely to be in Europe anyway. I like to see a variety in age, race, economic class, education--not just a variety in powers. The more original an idea is, the more I'm likely to like it.

The ancient gods were real. Over two millennia ago, a group of con artists gifted with paragon abilities assumed the mantle of the Greek gods and Chinese Immortals. War eventually split them apart. This war was over the secrets contained in the scroll of Zeus: the formula of their immortality and the truth about how they'd received their paragon abilities. On one side, the power-hungry Zeus led the Olympians in stopping the Immortals and the rebel Greek gods (that is, Apollo, Artemis, Hades, and Hephaestus). Though many gods were killed, the rebels successfully hid the scroll beneath the Parthenon and went into hiding as mortals. The surviving Chinese Immortals disguised themselves as the characters of Arthurian myth: Merlin, the Lady of the Lake, and Morgan Le Fey.

A thousand years passed and the Blackout happened. It was 1937 and a whole new generation of paragons appeared on the Earth. An American volunteer team learned of the scroll beneath the Parthenon and went in search of it. After dodging the Italian fascists, they recovered it. They also discovered that their mysterious ally Albert Finchley and his sister Adelaide were truly Apollo and Artemis, protecting the scroll from the agents of Zeus. Hades, the keeper of the paragon dead, now went by the name of Mr. Hector Rose. Though the volunteers now have the scroll, the only one who can decode it is Merlin, who was captured by the Nazis in Vienna, Austria. While Finchley keeps the scroll safe, the volunteers are now headed into Vienna, hoping to rescue the one man who can decode the scroll and reveal the secrets of the paragons' powers . . .

I think that about covers it, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Now let's see what you got.

Game Description:

In 1937, a major blackout rolled across the eastern coast of North America and the west shores of Europe. It lasted for two days. When the lights came back on, numerous people in both areas displayed strange powers. Some thought it was the work of the Devil, or maybe of aliens. No one had any answers. At the least, no one spoke of any.

Five years passed. Just as had happened in our timeline, Hitler invaded Poland and started World War Two, but now with super-powered individuals leading his armies. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the United States joined the war. Every able-bodied man with powers was conscripted into the fight, no exceptions. The women and children were left to take care of the home front.

At the University of Chicago, Professor John Haskill had founded the MERLIN Project, to study these powered individuals, funded by a grant from the US Army. Unfortunately, with most of the men gone, he was left to study the women and a few remaining men. Like everyone else during this time, he was forced to make do.

Then he received word that someone had made a discovery in post-Blitz London, a discovery that related to these powered individuals, these "Paragons" as they were called. Prof. Haskill was many things--none of them, however, was brave. So he sent some of his subjects to London in his place to investigate. What they find may very well change the world.

__________________“Each day we are becoming a creature of splendid glory or one of unthinkable horror.” ~ C.S. Lewis

Ok I have two possible characters ideas I like. One is a hair stylist that gains the ability to move her own hair. The hair will be super strong, durable and can grow as she likes. Joins the European resistance because of her powers, since before them she would not have been a good fighter at all.

The other one maybe a problem in a group. She would release pheromones that make those around her fall in love with her, or at least like her and be willing to do what she asks. Still not sure on all the details for this one but I would like to know if this is a power you would allow since it could affect the other characters.

Hmm, the first idea is interesting, depending on how you portray it. The second is doable, too, as long as she has some control of her powers. We did have one character (Mildred) who had something similar in that she could entrance men, so as long as you make it noticeably different from that, I have no issue either (and actually might prefer it, as the hair could get a little stranger than I'm looking for).

Well from what I see on Mildred's Info sheet she turned people to stone based off of her gaze.

Mine would be Emotion Control (Limited to Love) dependent on scent. The Pheromones power on page 203 in Ultimate Power. It is an reaction power but you do have the choice not to allow it to activate, unless the Uncontrolled flaw is added.

If the hair is to strange for you then I will focus on the other one then. I am thinking that with her power she would work best as an spy for the resistance, as she can get the enemy to do as she wants most of the time. Some kind of dancing girl could work, using the fascinate feat with preform dance to get people to stare at her, ignoring everything else. After joining the resistance she would have gotten some combat training so that she could take care of herself but she will not excel at it.

You have to look at the updated sheet in the second post to see it. Basically, she has the Confuse power (limited to men) and the Emotion Control power (limited to fear/panic). I was actually conflating the two, so you're in the clear. The idea is intriguing, so I can't wait to see how you write her up.

Definitely interested. My primary idea at the moment is someone, probably a professor or someone with a similarly comprehensive education, who gains even higher intelligence due to the Blackout, and uses it to create various technological marvels. I'm not sure how well that would fit in in the game though; I'm in the process of reading through the threads now, but if the idea of Mad Science doesn't gel well, I'll think of something else. Actually, looking at the archetypes, it seems pretty similar to the Gadgeteer, so I guess that's a good place to look for an idea of what I'm going for.

Her powers didn't have much in common, no, but they all suited her concept as a Medusa-like figure. The way the fluff worked made much more sense than just the stats did, which is why the fluff is so important. You can rationalize so much that way . . .

In WWII, we are in July, 1942. Though there are thousands of super-powered individuals flying around, I've pretty much kept the history the same. The London Blitz is over. Hitler is now "Supreme Judge of the German People," putting him officially above the law. The Germans are in their summer offensive against Russia. Eisenhower has just been put in charge of American forces in Europe.

This is the map I'm using for Europe:

You'll be starting in Vienna, Austria, deep in Nazi-held territory.

Rayth: It's a doable concept. Computers are still out of the question, and any technology would be dieselpunk in style. I have no problems with him using a super brain to build anything like that, so I'd like to see what you do with it before I approve or reject it. It's got my interest, though.